The Ford Chronicles I: Mia Ford
by zzilly14
Summary: Mia's husband is missing, and her search leads her to the Manhattan clan of Gargoyles. She also learns of other things that'll change her life forever.
1. The Return Part One

_All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of Zzilly14._  
  
NOTES: I disregard the happenings of Hunter's Moon and Goliath Chronicles, because I didn't want to have people know about the gargoyles yet, and I still like having them live on the clocktower. So yeah. :) Enjoy.

**The Ford Chronicles: Mia Ford  
I: The Return Part One  
**by Zzilly14  


  
  
I found myself on the top floor of Xanatos Enterprises in midtown New York, pacing back and forth, waiting. My husband John was missing, and the brief typed note he sent me reeked of foul play. I knew that he couldn't have left voluntarily, and I intended to go as far as the ends of the earth to have John back in my arms again. I decided to investigate his disappearance, starting with where he worked as a security guard.  
  
"Excuse me, Miss. May I help you?" I was startled at the man who suddenly appeared in the room. He was a thin man with blond hair and glasses. In my opinion, he looked like the typical assistant to a bigwig. The odd thing was, his left hand was permanently in the shape of a fist – because it was made of stone.  
  
"Why yes, yes you can. I need to speak to Mr. Xanatos. It concerns an employee of his."  
  
"I'm sorry, but Mr. Xanatos is extremely busy. May I relay a message to him?"  
  
I sighed. "Tell him I need to know where John Ford is."  
  
The man suddenly changed his attitude. "John Ford, you say? Follow me."  
  
I followed him down a hall where we stopped in front of two large doors. He opened them up for me and we both stepped inside.  
  
"Mr. Xanatos, someone is here to see you."  
  
Behind a desk was a man in a chair. He stood up, revealing to be tall as well as attractive. His dark brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail.  
  
"Mia Ford, I presume? David Xanatos." He shook my hand and had a large smile. "This is my assistant and close friend, Owen Burnett."  
  
I faintly returned the smile. "I need to find my husband. I received a note a couple of weeks ago, supposedly from John, but it didn't seem right. I think he's in trouble."  
  
Xanatos nodded. "You're right. Someone kidnapped John. Rather... something. Your husband must have done something to rub this creature in the wrong way."  
  
I couldn't help but snicker. "Creature? What, are you saying a vampire took my husband and drank his blood? You're insane, Mr. Xanatos. No offense."  
  
"None taken... no, there's no such thing as vampires. But there are other things that glide around at night."  
  
"Like bats? I thought you said-"  
  
Xanatos rolled his eyes. "Listen, Mrs. Ford, I'm telling the truth here. I know it's hard to believe, but they exist. I can prove it to you."  
  
I groaned. "What exist? Fairies? Unicorns? What are you talking about?"  
  
He handed me a piece of paper. "Meet me there at quarter till seven. See you then." Owen escorted me outside of the office as I read the paper – it had the address of some place I'd never heard of before.

...  
  
The sun was ten minutes away from setting, and I was at the building Xanatos had requested for me to be at. He was already there, leaning against the side of the building.  
  
"Very punctual," he said as he glanced at his watch. "Very nice."  
  
"What's in here?" I asked.  
  
"Absolutely nothing," he grinned. "But I want to take you to the rooftop, to get a view of the whole city as the sun sets."  
  
I began to get a little irritated. "If you're trying to romance me, it's not going to work, Mr. Xanatos."  
  
"Mrs. Ford, I assure you, I have no interest in you in that way. Anyway, I'm married." I was surprised to hear him say that, since he didn't appear to be the "settle-down" type. As I contemplated what his wife might be like, I followed him inside and up the stairs.  
  
At the top of the building I could see everything. The sky displayed an array of colors, and each minute that passed brought a different but equally amazing beauty.  
  
"It's so gorgeous," I sighed.  
  
Xanatos glanced at me. "That's not what you should be looking at. Look to the building in front of us. See those statues? Watch them."  
  
I gave Xanatos a questionable look, and reluctantly stared at the stone gargoyles. They were done artistically well – and they looked almost real.  
  
The sun got lower and lower, and finally it could be seen no more.  
  
That's when it happened.  
  
The statues cracked open into living creatures – they were ALIVE.  
  
"Wha... what... what the heck?"  
  
"Shh!" Xanatos said. "You don't want them to see you. Here, look at them with these binoculars."  
  
I stared at the creatures with the binoculars. They were all different colored creatures with wings – monsters! It was then I noticed a woman – a human woman – talking with them.  
  
"Who is that?" I asked, turning to Xanatos.  
  
"Elisa Maza."  
  
"Isn't she a police officer? What the heck is she doing with those things?"  
  
"She's one of their friends."  
  
"Friends? Those... things are friendly? I can't believe that... these are the things that took my husband, aren't they?"  
  
"Yes and no."  
  
I shook my head with confusion. "Which one is it? Do they or don't they have John?"  
  
"These gargoyles, as they're called, don't have him. They're the good guys. But, a gargoyle did kidnap John."  
  
"How do you know all this? Why did one of those... beasts take him?"  
  
"I can't reveal where I get my information. But those 'beasts' as you call them might be able to help you find John."  
  
"Me? Talk to those monsters? No way am I going near those things!"  
  
Xanatos grabbed my shoulders. "You want to find John? These gargoyles," he said, pointing to them, "are your best chance. I suggest you talk to Elisa at the police station tomorrow, and she'll take you to them."

...  
  
The next morning I walked inside the police station, which was conveniently where the gargoyles lived. Xanatos had told me that the gargoyles were stone during the day, so I decided it was better to approach this "friend of the gargoyles" while her "friends" were unavailable.  
  
"Hello, sir," I said to the man behind the desk at the station. "I need to speak with Elisa Maza."  
  
The man smiled. "Sure, m'am. She'll see you in a minute."  
  
A minute later I was with Elisa in a private room, with no one to interrupt us.  
  
"What can I do for you..."  
  
"I'm Mia Ford, and I need help from your..." I paused, not wanting to sound crazy, "friends."  
  
"I don't know which friends you're talking about, Mia..." Elisa said.  
  
I took a deep breath. "Let's just say, there's some gargoyle statues that I'd like take a look at."  
  
Her eyes widened with surprise before she lowered her voice. "How do you know about them?"  
  
"Mr. Xanatos enlightened me... look, my husband is missing, and Xanatos said that a gargoyle has him. But he said it wasn't one of your friends, but another one, who's apparently kind of evil."  
  
Elisa narrowed her eyes, displaying anger concerning the aforementioned gargoyle. "At sunset we will discuss this with the clan, and see what kind of action we should take. We will find your husband. Somehow."  
  
The following evening, Elisa and I were at the top of the clocktower, awaiting the sunset. I began to get extremely nervous about meeting these creatures. How could they help? They were animals... right?  
  
The sun finally disappeared below the horizon, and I heard roars from the creatures as they broke their stone cocoons. "Elisa," I said in fear.  
  
"Don't worry, Mia. They're just waking up. They don't bite, I promise."  
  
The large lavender one with the black hair came up to us. "Good evening, Elisa. How are you?"  
  
"I'm doing fine, Goliath," she smiled as she kissed him – on the lips! "I've brought someone who needs our help. Her name's Mia."  
  
My fear lessened a little. They weren't the monsters I had envisioned.  
  
"Hi there, Mr. Goliath," I smiled awkwardly, holding out my hand. His huge hand took it and shook, with a firm yet gentle grip.  
  
Goliath smiled. "I'd like you to meet my clan."  
  
He introduced me to the other four gargoyles. The older one looked like a wise grandfatherly type – his name was Hudson. He was petting the dog-like gargoyle, Bronx. The short olive-green gargoyle was named Lexington, and the red gargoyle with the beak called himself Brooklyn.  
  
"There are two more in our clan," said Goliath, "but my daughter Angela and her husband Broadway are on their honeymoon right now."  
  
"You guys get married?" I asked in disbelief. "Wow!"  
  
Elisa tried to keep from laughing. "Well, not many gargoyles 'get married.' Angela grew up with humans, so she embraces our traditions. She persuaded Broadway to have a human wedding ceremony, and he decided it'd be fun. It was really sweet and romantic... right, Goliath?"  
  
"Uh... right, Elisa... it was nice." He tried to keep from blushing.  
  
"Well, it's been nice meeting you all," I said. "I never imagined you'd all be so... friendly. I think I need to sit down," I said before collapsing to the ground.  
  
When I woke up, I realized that only a few minutes had past. I had been moved inside onto a couch, in front of a TV – they watched television?  
  
I noticed Brooklyn was standing over me. "Are you okay?" he asked with worry.  
  
"I think so... it's just so overwhelming. My husband being gone, finding out about you guys... I've been having a stressful couple of weeks."  
  
"Husband?" he asked.  
  
"That's why I came to you..."  
  
Everyone crowded around me as I told them what had happened. After finishing, Goliath got angry.  
  
"Demona..." he spat. After giving him an odd look, he continued. "She and I... a VERY long time ago... were together. After being in stone for a thousand years, we were reunited."  
  
Elisa interrupted when I looked confused about his last statement. "The gargoyles were protectors of the humans during the Middle Ages. Unfortunately some of the humans betrayed the gargoyles. Many were killed. A few from Goliath's clan were put under a spell for a thousand years."  
  
Goliath continued. "But Demona had not been cursed – at least not the same spell. She has been living since the 'Middle Ages,' as Elisa calls it. And during that time she has grown to hate humans, wanting to destroy them. If a gargoyle kidnapped your husband, it must be Demona."  
  
I cried. "I miss John so much... why would she want him?"  
  
"I do not know. But John must know something or have something that Demona wants."  
  
"I have to find him," I said, getting up from the chair. "If she hates us humans so much, I have to get John away from her. I've got to find him before it's too late!"  
  
Elisa came to me and brushed my hair back. "Mia, as hard as it is to hear, it might in fact be too late. He's been gone for a while now, right?"  
  
"No..." I denied it. "He has to be alive. He can't be gone. Not yet, not now." I looked around at all the beings in the room. All of them had a look of sympathy on their faces. "I appreciate your kindness. But I have to go find John. Where does Demona usually hide out?"  
  
Brooklyn spoke up. "There's some places we can look. I'll take you."  
  
"You mean, fly there?"  
  
"Glide there. Don't worry, I won't drop you," he laughed. "Come on."  
  
"Should we come too?" asked Lexington.  
  
I thought for a moment, then said, "Well, if there's more than one place she could be, how about we split up. Some go to one place, some go to another."  
  
So we all went different ways, except for Bronx – he had to stay behind.  
  
It was weird the first time gliding with Brooklyn. He held me close to his chest, and I had my arms wrapped around him, facing him.  
  
"You doing okay, Mia?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah... could be better though. This is kind of freaky."  
  
Well, freak no more," he laughed. "We're here."  
  
We landed on the top of a deserted-looking castle. "Nice place," I said, looking around. "Now, to find Demona."  
  
"You won't find her here," said a sinister voice behind us. We turned and saw a man pointing a gun at us.  
  
"Macbeth..." spat Brooklyn. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I could ask you the same thing, seeing as this is my home. I see you've brought a friend. Who's the little lady?"  
  
I spoke up. "The name's Mia. Now, I get the feeling you know Demona. Where is she?"  
  
"Not a clue," he replied.  
  
"Tell me the truth, Macbeth. Where is Demona?"  
  
"What do you want with that beast? Don't go looking for her, or else you're looking for trouble."  
  
Brooklyn whispered to me. "He hates Demona – if he knew where she was, he'd tell us."  
  
I nodded. "Maybe you can help us anyway... do you know anything about John Ford?"  
  
Macbeth lowered his gun. "John Ford was a great man that I had the pleasure of working with."  
  
"You're a security guard with him?" I asked.  
  
He laughed hysterically. "Security guard? Far from it! We robbed banks together."  
  
I laughed. "You must be kidding me, Mr. Macbeth. My husband isn't a criminal."  
  
"He used to be," he replied seriously. "He told me he was quitting and going to settle down. That was years ago – and I haven't seen him since."  
  
"So you have no idea where he is now?" Brooklyn stepped in. "No information that may help us?"  
  
Macbeth had a look of concern. "I'm sorry, but I have nothing."  
  
"Let's go," said Brooklyn with frustration. "Maybe the others found Demona."  
  
"Wait," yelled Macbeth. "They're not going to find her."  
  
I turned around. "Why not?"  
  
He sighed. "I don't know where Demona is, but I know where she's not. She left Manhattan and hasn't been around for a couple of weeks."  
  
"When did you last see her?"  
  
"I haven't seen her for quite some time. But I've heard from her colleagues that she hasn't showed up at work."  
  
"What do you mean, colleagues? There are more gargoyles?" I wondered.  
  
"She doesn't turn into stone during the day," he said. "Instead, she becomes a human when the sun rises."  
  
"How is that possible?" I asked in shock.  
  
Brooklyn shook his head. "Sorcery. From the infamous Puck."  
  
I thought for a moment. "So Demona's been gone for as long as John has. She must have him..." I smiled at Macbeth. "Thanks for all your help."  
  
"Don't mention it," he responded. "Anything to help an old friend."

...  
  
Brooklyn flew me back to the clocktower as we waited for everyone else to return.  
  
"You're a good boy," I told Bronx as I petted him. "As scary as you look, you're just like a sweet little puppy!"  
  
"Woof!" said a happy Bronx.  
  
"He likes you," Brooklyn smiled. "That means we can trust you."  
  
"You didn't before?" I spoke in surprise.  
  
"I knew you were telling the truth. It's just, we have to be careful. Anyway, Bronx is a good judge of character," he said as he took Bronx's face in his hands, petting him. "He knows who he can and can't trust."  
  
I smiled. "He's a smart dog."  
  
"Yep," he replied, smiling back at me. "Hey Mia, I..."  
  
Then we heard the sound of wings gliding through the air. I looked up and saw Hudson and Lex.  
  
"Any luck with you guys?" I asked.  
  
"Not a trace of Demona, anywhere," Hudson said.  
  
Lex shook his head. "She's definitely hiding pretty well."  
  
I smiled. "Well, we got some information - from Macbeth. Apparently he used to rob banks with John, before I even knew him. And it seems Demona skipped town. She's been gone as long as John has."  
  
"Where could we find them, then?"  
  
Brooklyn shrugged his shoulders. "Not a clue."  
  
We then went inside to watch TV, while waiting for Goliath and Elisa to return. There wasn't too much on, so Lex hooked up the video game console. The two of us played a racing game while the others watched, all of us laughing and having a good time.  
  
I beat Lex, making him pout.  
  
"That's the first time anyone's beat me!" he exclaimed. "I say, we do a rematch."  
  
I grinned. "And I accept!"  
  
Finally we finished the race.  
  
"Hey, you won!" I smiled.  
  
"Because you let me!" he replied. "But thanks Mia, it was nice of you to do that."  
  
I looked outside and saw that it was getting lighter.  
  
"Hey, it's getting close to sunrise... and they're still not back," I worried.  
  
"Wherever they are, I'm sure they're fine," Hudson said. "Come on, lads. We better get going."  
  
I grabbed Hudson. "What should I do?"  
  
"If you're worried, go downstairs to the station and find Elisa. She'll be there. You lasses can figure out what to do next."  
  
"Thank you... and good morning."  
  
"You too, lass."  
  
I went outside with the gargoyles as they took their positions on the ledge. The sun rose, and their bodies hardened into stone.  
  
"Is this really happening to me?" I wondered. So much had happened to me in the past couple of weeks. Who would've imagined – living gargoyles?  
  
I quickly ran downstairs and asked to see Elisa.  
  
"She hasn't been in yet this morning," the officer said. "She usually doesn't come in for another half-hour."  
  
"Well... where does she live?" After giving me a strange look, I added, "I need to speak with her. And it can't wait."  
  
"Can someone else-"  
  
"I need to speak to Elisa Maza. Not anyone else."  
  
Reluctantly he gave me her address, and I thanked the man as I left the station.

...  
  
When I got to her apartment, I saw an envelope stuck partially in the crack of the door. I pulled it out, and surprisingly my name was on it. Inside was a letter: "Looking for Goliath and Elisa? I know where they are. But I'm going to need your help. Meet me in Central Park as soon as you get this." It wasn't signed.  
  
"Perhaps Macbeth wrote it..." I thought. I headed to the park, not knowing where to go. After walking around for a little while, I sat down on a bench next to another young woman, who was reading a newspaper.  
  
"Excuse me," she said after staring at me, "are you looking for someone? I saw you walking around like you were."  
  
I glanced over at the redhead. "Yeah, I am. I just have no idea who I'm trying to find."  
  
"Perhaps I can help... My name is Dominique Destine," she smiled, reaching out her hand.  
  
Taking it, I replied, "I'm Mia."  
  
"I thought so... I know where to find your friends, but it'll be difficult and dangerous."  
  
"How do you know Goliath and Elisa?"  
  
"We have a history together – especially Goliath and I."  
  
I had a suspicious feeling about Dominique. "Is John Ford with them?"  
  
"Possibly. Macbeth is keeping a lot of prisoners, I've heard."  
  
"Macbeth?" I screamed as I stood up from the bench. "He told me Demona had John!"  
  
"Well... she doesn't," she replied.  
  
I stared Dominique in the eyes, realizing who I was speaking with. "But I don't trust Demona. How can I believe what she says?"  
  
She began to laugh hysterically. "You're a smart human, Mia Ford. You shouldn't trust me. But I don't think trusting Macbeth is a good idea either."  
  
I glared at the human form of Demona. "Where is my husband, Demona? And what do you want with him?"  
  
Demona sighed. "You remind me SO much of that annoying human Elisa. Are you two related?"  
  
"Answer me."  
  
"Fine, fine. But you better sit down." Hesitantly I did.  
  
"Now, John used to be a criminal, I'm sure Macbeth told you that story, am I right?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"But then John stopped robbing banks, and he met you, romance bloomed, blah blah. However, he wasn't the good boy he portrayed to you."  
  
"He went back to robbing banks while we were married?"  
  
"Quiet. Let me finish. He didn't 'go back' to stealing money. He met me. As a human, of course."  
  
"You had an affair with him?" I shrieked.  
  
"No, foolish human! I employed him – when he wasn't working for Xanatos as a guard, he was working for me."  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
"Helping me translate some spells."  
  
What spells?" I demanded.  
  
"Ones for my personal use... John started to catch on, though, and didn't want to help me anymore. He was going to destroy the book! That fool had it coming!"  
  
I grabbed Demona's shirt and got in her face. "What the hell did you do to him, beast?"  
  
Her eyes began to glow red and she growled. "If you let go of me, I'll bring you to him."  
I pushed her away from me. "You better, or else I'll kill you."  
  
She laughed as she got up. "I'd like to see you try. Meet me at the abandoned factory, after sunset. And don't bring any of your new friends either. Or else your husband is dead."  
  
_TO BE CONTINUED..._


	2. The Return Part Two

_All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of Zzilly14._  
  


**The Ford Chronicles: Mia Ford  
II: The Return Part Two  
**by Zzilly14  
  


I was at the top of the clocktower, a few minutes before sunset, trying to be patient. After meeting Demona and learning that she did indeed have John, as well as my new friends Goliath and Elisa, I worried the day away. I decided to go to the other gargoyles and inform them of my interesting day.  
  
"Come on, sun. SET!"  
  
Finally it listened, and the gargoyles woke from their stone slumber. They noticed me and instantly knew something was wrong.  
  
"What did Elisa tell you?" asked Lex. "Did they find Demona?"  
  
"Elisa told me nothing," I replied. "But Demona has been found."  
  
Brooklyn asked, "How?"  
  
"I met Demona. In human form, of course. She has Goliath and Elisa. As well as John. I'm supposed to meet her at that old computer factory, right now actually."  
  
"I'll take you there," Brooklyn said.  
  
"No... she told me I have to go alone, or else... or else..." I tried to keep from crying.  
  
"We'll go over there after we come up with a plan," said Hudson. "We don't trust Demona, and you shouldn't either."  
  
"I don't," I said, "but I need to get my husband away from that evil creature. And I'll do what ever I can to save him."  
  
...  
  
I walked down the tower and took a cab to the abandoned-looking factory. I looked around, but didn't see anyone.  
  
"You're late," I heard Demona say. "I hope you're alone."  
  
"I came by myself," I replied. "Traffic was bad, that's why I'm a little late."  
  
Demona flew from nowhere and landed in front of me. Although she was intimidating as a human, her gargoyle form made her look scary and evil. Especially since she was carrying a gun. "Follow me, human."  
  
I followed her inside and was quiet while we walked around. Finally she pressed a button that opened a door to a hidden basement.  
  
Down the stairs we went to a secret lair. Demona went over to a console, pressed some buttons, and another door opened.  
  
"Your friends are in there," she said. "Go see them."  
  
I went inside, and saw Goliath and Elisa in separate cages.  
  
"Mia!" shouted Elisa. "You found us! Can you help us out of here?"  
  
I whispered, "Demona is still here, I can't do anything yet!"  
  
"She won't even notice," spoke up Goliath. "Hurry and let us out!"  
  
I scanned the room for some keys – and found some. I unlocked both cage doors so they could get out.  
  
"Where's John, is he around here somewhere?"  
  
Elisa said, "Yes, yes he is... and you're going to join him."  
  
Goliath suddenly grabbed me, holding me still. Demona walked in grinning devilishly.  
  
"You see, spells can do amazing things. You can make people do what you want them to. You can control them. John wanted to stop me from doing this. And he failed."  
  
"Let me see him," I cried, "please! I want to see my husband!"  
  
"Alright... Goliath, bring John in here."  
  
He went to a wall which had a hidden door. He went inside and came back out, holding a weak John.  
  
"John!" I cried. "John! Honey, can you hear me?"  
  
Goliath dropped him in front of me. I sat down and stroked his dark brown hair. "Sweetie, it's Mia. I'm here!" I said through my tears.  
  
"What a touching reunion," Demona said sarcastically.  
  
"Mia?" he rasped. "Dear, I'm so... so sorry... I love you."  
  
"I know, John, I know... it's not your fault, you didn't do anything wrong. You didn't know Demona was using you. You didn't know what she really was."  
  
"I should have," he said sadly. "I'm sorry what I've put you through."  
  
"It's okay... now we're together."  
  
Demona laughed. "Not for long, you pathetic humans. I've put a spell on your mate here, to pay for disobeying me!"  
  
"What spell?" I demanded angrily. "What did you do?"  
  
"Well, at sunrise he's going to change – into stone. And he'll never be human again."  
  
Tears began to fall down my cheeks. "There must be a way to stop it. You can't do this to him!"  
  
"I already did. And there is no way to reverse the spell. All you can do is cherish the time you have left with him. That's my gift to you."  
  
"No! No! Please reverse the spell..." I sobbed. "Please, Demona... what did I do to you?"  
  
"You married this human. That's what you did." She then recited some incantations from the book. "I've had enough fun tonight," she devilishly grinned. "You have your friends back... for now." Then she ran up the stairs, escaping.  
  
"Mia?" asked Elisa. "What happened?"  
  
"Ouch, my head," said Goliath.  
  
"Why did she do this to the only thing that mattered in my life? Why... why is she taking my husband away from me?" I held John tight, crying. "Why?"  
  
"Mia," he said, "I haven't been completely honest with you."  
  
"I know, sweetie, I know..."  
  
"There's more," he said. "Things I haven't told you."  
  
I sobbed. "But there's not enough time, I just want to kiss you and hold you... your mistakes aren't important. I don't want to let you go!"  
  
"Mia! Listen... I'm older than I've told you."  
  
"You lied about your age? Everybody does that, John!" I laughed weakly. "But that's not important, okay?"  
  
"Mia... how many people say their real age is over a thousand years?"  
  
All I could do was stare back at John.  
  
"I was put under a spell a long time ago, Mia. I knew Demona back in the Middle Ages. I knew Goliath and his clan... I used to be in his clan."  
  
"There were no humans in our clan," Goliath said.  
  
"That's my point," replied John. I stared into his eyes, slowly absorbing the information he began to reveal. "I was a gargoyle once. I left that night... and I came back to find you all in stone. I found the Magus and begged him to curse me too, but he refused. Instead, he made me a human – an immortal human.  
  
"I've been roaming around this world for centuries. Demona, as a human, came to me and I didn't realize it was her. I got suspicious when I saw the spells in that book she was wanting me to translate. I confronted her, refused to work for her anymore, when she revealed herself to me. It was then I informed her of my true nature. She couldn't believe it... that's why she did the spell on me."  
  
"How will turning into stone prove to her you're a gargoyle from her clan?" I asked.  
  
"She didn't tell you everything," he explained. "It's true, I'll turn to stone at sunrise. But that's because I'll be a gargoyle once more."  
  
"John... I..." I held him close and kissed him tenderly. I cried again, but this time out of happiness. "This means we can still be together, John. This means I don't have to lose you!"  
  
"You don't care that I'll be a flying creature of the night and a statue in the day?"  
  
"Of course not – because you're still you. I admit, at first I was afraid of the gargoyles. But I learned that they're not the monsters I thought they were. It doesn't matter what shape or form you have. As long as you're the same John Ford on the inside, that's all that matters."  
  
"I love you, Mia!"  
  
"I love you too." We kissed again.  
  
Goliath cleared his throat. "We better get going. Our clan is probably worried about us."  
  
"Yeah, we were – but everything looks okay!" said a voice coming down the stairs. It was Lex, followed by Brooklyn, Hudson, and Bronx.  
  
"Hey guys!" I smiled. "John's okay! He's not hurt badly!"  
  
"Turning into stone will heal me," he grinned.  
  
"Since when did humans turn into stone?" asked Lex. "Not counting the time Demona did that spell a while back..."  
  
"It's a long story," I chuckled.  
  
Everyone headed back to the clocktower, just in time for the Late Show.  
  
Lex sat right in front of the television. Brooklyn was seated on the couch with Hudson and Bronx. Goliath and Elisa were outside talking with us.  
  
"We've got a lot in common," I said to Elisa, "with our significant others being gargoyles. Although John has been human before..."  
  
Elisa laughed. "So has Goliath. Thanks to Demona and Puck. You know, Goliath, you made a pretty nice human for those few minutes!"  
  
"And you made a fine gargoyle," he grinned.  
  
"I think that's a story for another time," I laughed.  
  
"So tell me, John," spoke Goliath, "you were one of my rookery brothers?"  
  
"A long time ago, yes. I hope you will accept me back into your clan."  
  
Goliath grabbed his shoulder. "Of course – you are always welcome into our clan, brother."  
  
"Honey, can you take me gliding?" asked Elisa. "I want some alone time with you," she giggled.  
  
"Of course, my love." He took her into his arms and they glided off, leaving John and I alone.  
  
"Are you feeling better?" I asked him.  
  
"Every minute," he replied. "Are you sure you're okay with me being a gargoyle? It doesn't bother you?"  
  
"Well, I can't say this is a dream come true for me. I mean, I won't be able to wake up with you in the mornings anymore... and we can't hold hands in public and see a movie – everyone would be scared off. But those are just small sacrifices. The bright side is that we can take to the air – without having to pay for an airline flight!"  
  
We both laughed. John took my hands and kissed them.  
  
"You're an amazing woman, Mia. You always like to find the bright side of things."  
  
"The real bright side of all of this is that I still have you, and you still have me. That's all that matters."  
  
We held each other and sat quietly, with the sounds of laughter coming from inside the tower. And I drifted off to sleep, happy to be in my husband's arms.  
  
...  
  
When I woke up, I was alone. The sun was shining brightly in the sky – it had been up for a few hours at least. I got up and went inside, finding Elisa snoozing on the couch.  
  
"Elisa!" I said, waking her up.  
  
She struggled to open her eyes. "Oh, hey Mia. Don't mind me, I'm exhausted."  
  
"Where's John?" I asked. "I fell asleep in his arms, and now he's gone!"  
  
"Remember the spell? He's a gargoyle now."  
  
"I know, I know. But where is he, as stone?"  
  
"I'm not sure." We both went outside and scanned all of the statues. "He's not up here with the others," she said.  
  
"Where could he have gone?" I wondered.  
  
"Come with me, Mia. I'll help you keep busy so you won't have time to worry. And then it'll be nightfall, and John will show up. He's fine, I'm sure of it."  
  
...  
  
After an exhausting day of shopping and going to all the touristy places in the city, we headed back to the clocktower. And finally, the sun set once more, turning the stone statues into real-life gargoyles.  
  
"Where's John?" asked Goliath as he stretched out his wings.  
  
"I don't know," I said sadly. "I woke up this morning and he was gone."  
  
"Don't worry, I'm back!" I heard a familiar voice say. I looked up to see an orange gargoyle flying awkwardly. He miscalculated his landing and ended up tumbling.  
  
"John?" I asked bewilderingly.  
  
"Yes... ow... it's been a while – a long while – since I've had wings." I helped him up as he continued. "I thought it would come back to me easily. Apparently I need to practice some more to get back into it."  
  
I looked closely at the new John. He had beautiful large brown wings. His hair was still dark brown, but longer. His face looked very similar to his human face, except the skin color. And his eyes were exactly the same – bright and happy.  
  
I began to cry, putting my face to John's chest.  
  
"Mia... I thought you were okay with this," he spoke tenderly, brushing my hair with his talons.  
  
"I am, it's just... you still look like my John." I looked into his eyes and stroked his face. "I could recognize you in any form. And I'm just so happy to know you're safe and alive and here, with me." I cried once more, John holding me close.  
  
"Have I told you how amazing you are?" he asked.  
  
I smiled. "Yes, yes you have."  
  
"You're my Amazing Mia," he grinned.  
  
"Where'd you run off to while I was asleep?" I asked.  
  
"Well, the spell took effect. I changed – and I didn't want to scare you," he said, turning his face away from me.  
  
"I thought it was supposed to happen at sunrise."  
  
"That's when I turned into stone. The changing into a gargoyle – it happened at midnight. If you had woken up and seen me looking like this, I was afraid you'd be scared. So I went to the next building over to hang out. That's where I was ever since last night."  
  
Goliath stepped forward. "It's good to see you again in your true form, rookery brother." He shook hands with John. "But you certainly need some gliding lessons!"  
  
"Could you help me with that later tonight? I want to spend some time with my wife."  
  
"Of course. I need to spend time with mine too."  
  
"You're married?" asked everyone, all eyes on Goliath and Elisa.  
  
They looked at each other and laughed.  
  
"Not yet," said Elisa. "But we've talked about it – ever since Broadway and Angela announced their engagement."  
  
John winked at Goliath. "Go for it. It's definitely worth it, to make it official."  
  
We all laughed. Goliath took Elisa and they glided off to be by themselves. The others went inside, leaving John and I by ourselves outside.  
  
The wind began to blow, and John put his hands around mine.  
  
"You're cold," he said softly. His wings opened up and then enclosed around me, blocking the wind from hitting me.  
  
"Now this," I laughed, "this I could get used to!"  
  
John kissed me on my forehead, then each of my cheeks, and finally on my lips. I looked into his eyes and was completely happy. I was more in love with my husband than ever before.  
  
"Mia..." John said seriously, "I've been thinking about something."  
  
"What is it?" I asked with worry.  
  
"I know you want to have children of your own one day..."  
  
"Oh," I suddenly realized. "I forgot about that..."  
  
"I'm so sorry, Mia..." He tenderly stroked my cheek as my tears came falling.  
  
"It's not your fault," I said sadly. "It's just one of the many sacrifices we have to deal with." I rested my head on John's chest, and he didn't seem to mind my tears dripping down his body. "I still love you," I whispered.  
  
Suddenly John roared and opened his wings up, his eyes glowing white.  
  
I backed away from him, frightened. "What... what are you doing?"  
  
He calmed down, turning away from me. "I'm sorry, hon. This is just so hard. You're so wonderful about all this, when you should be mad at me. I don't deserve to have you."  
  
"John," I said as I walked back to him, turning his face to look at me, "people make mistakes. But there's a thing called forgiveness. And the one who needs it is Demona – not you."  
  
John began to cry. "But I lied to you, Mia. I didn't tell you who I used to be, or about my long life."  
  
"True..." I said, thinking for a moment. "But I'm not angry with you about that. I wouldn't have believed you if you told me, say, on our honeymoon. You had reasons to not tell me, and when you finally did, was I angry with you? No! I was too happy to have you in my arms to be mad."  
  
I wiped the tears away from John's eyes as my own tears began falling once more. And once again John cradled me with his wings as we held each other close.  
  
After a few minutes, I began to feel sick.  
  
"John... I'm not feeling so well..."  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked in a panicked voice.  
  
"I don't know..." Suddenly I collapsed into his arms.  
  
...  
  
I woke up ten minutes later, finding myself on the couch, with everyone staring me.  
  
"This is deja vu," I remarked.  
  
John was holding my hands, his face full of worry. "I'm so glad you're awake! You scared me to death!"  
  
Elisa and Goliath had returned from their glide to see if I was okay. The former walked over to me. "I'm going to take you to the hospital so they can make sure it's nothing serious, okay?"  
  
"That sounds like a good idea."  
  
"John," Elisa said, "you can meet us there. I'll meet you on the roof once I know what room she's in so you can check up on her."  
  
...  
  
A half hour later I was in a hospital room, sitting on the bed waiting for the doctor. I heard a knock on the window and saw John. I quickly went over to it and opened it, so he could come in. He hugged me carefully and softly, and then folded his wings to make a sort of cape.  
  
"What do you have? Is it just a cold? Or is it serious? Are you going to be okay?"  
  
"John, calm down!" I said. "I don't know yet."  
  
Suddenly the door opened and the doctor walked in. He was looking at my file so he didn't notice John.  
  
"Uh, Doc," I said, "please don't scream or anything, okay?"  
  
"Why would I..." He looked up and his mouth hung open. "Wha... wha... what is THAT?"  
  
"Doc, please! He's my husband!"  
  
"But he's not... he doesn't look..."  
  
"It's a skin condition," John quickly said. "A rare skin condition."  
  
The doctor darted his eyes back and forth between us.  
  
"DOCTOR!" I practically yelled. "What did you find out?"  
  
He finally had a big sigh and looked back at my chart. "It appears that you are five weeks pregnant, Mrs. Ford."  
  
"Repeat that again," both John and I spoke in surprise.  
  
"You're pregnant. You're going to have a child."  
  
I started laughing hysterically. "Can you give us a few minutes alone, please?" I told the doctor. He looked cautiously back at John before leaving.  
  
"John, can you believe it? We're going to have a family after all!"  
  
He took me and swung me around, laughing with me. Then he put me down, kissing me passionately.  
  
"Whoa," I said after our long and passionate kiss. "I think somebody's happy about this!"  
  
"Of course," he smiled, "I know how much you've dreamed about this. And to have our own son or daughter... it's going to be wonderful."  
  
...  
  
When we got back to the clocktower, we informed everyone of the good news.  
  
Goliath came up to me and put his hand on my belly. "When the little one is born, we will protect it. You are a part of our clan, Mia. And that means we are family now."  
  
"Thank you, Goliath," I smiled, patting his arm. "It means a lot to me."  
  
Everyone went inside, leaving John and I alone again.  
  
"Our first child... Do we have to wait eight months?" he asked.   
  
"Yes... but it'll be worth it. And we've got a village to help raise him... or her," I said, holding my belly. "I've never been so happy in my life – ever. I have a wonderful husband, great new friends, and a child on the way. All my dreams are coming true. Not the way I imagined they would, but everything's going right. I've never been so happy."  
  
"Me too, Mia. I couldn't have asked for anything better."  
  
After celebrating the night away with the others, it was almost time for sunrise.  
  
"Have a good rest, my love," I said as I kissed John on the forehead.  
  
"You too," he replied, kissing my forehead. "And you too," he smiled as he kissed my belly.  
  
Then he turned to face the city along with the others before turning into stone.  
  
"So many people love you," I said, holding my belly. "You don't know how lucky you are... or how lucky your parents are." And I smiled as the sun shone on my face, looking forward to a joyful future.


	3. Loss

_All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of Zzilly14._  
  


**The Ford Chronicles: Mia Ford  
III: Loss**  
by Zzilly14  


  
  
"How about Susan Anne if it's a girl, and Michael Brian if it's a boy?" I asked.  
  
"Those names are too... bland, hon. Sorry."  
  
"Then what are your suggestions, hm?" I asked with a huge grin.  
  
John thought for a moment. "Boy... Neptune Apollo. Girl... Minerva Venus."  
  
"Are you being serious?"  
  
"Not really," he giggled. "But you must admit, they're original!"  
  
"They sound like Greek gods!" I exclaimed.  
  
He laughed. "They're Roman gods, actually."  
  
The two of us were walking around an unpopulated park, excited about the bundle of joy that was on its way. It had been two weeks since I found out about the pregnancy. Since then John and I had spent every night together on dates. Elisa had suggested that the park was a really romantic place, so we decided to check it out.  
  
I smiled back at John. "I guess it's going to take a while to think of good names, huh?"  
  
"Well, we've got seven and a half months to figure it out."  
  
I smiled as I leaned against John. "You're right. We've got plenty of time." He began to play with my hair. "It's pretty soft, huh? I used some new shampoo that makes it extremely touchable."  
  
"It's getting long," he said. "You should wear it up in a braid or something."  
  
I sighed. "You know I can't braid my own hair!"  
  
"I can braid it," he smiled.  
  
I took John's hands and stroked them. "Are you sure? You haven't braided my hair in a long time..."  
  
"I still remember how to do it."  
  
"That's not what I meant," I spoke softly. "I meant... your hands. They're different now..."  
  
"And you think just because my hands are larger and have claws mean that I can't braid hair anymore? Turn around."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You heard me, Greek goddess, turn around. I promise not to pull your hair too tight, okay?"  
  
Reluctantly, but with a smile, I turned away from John. I felt him delicately pulling my hair back into a French braid. After a few minutes I heard him deeply growl.  
  
"Is everything okay?"  
  
"I forgot to get a rubber band or something to hold it."  
  
I burst into laughter and forced John to let go of my hair. I turned to face him and gave him a hug. "You're so cute when you're angry, you know that? You're even cuter as an angry gargoyle!"  
  
John gradually began to smile. "It was kind of funny, wasn't it? But hey, it proves I'm still the Braid Master!"  
  
"And I'm the master of..."  
  
"No, no, please don't..." John said, holding his hands in the air and backing away. "Don't come near me!"  
  
"TICKLING!" I jumped onto John, causing him to knock over. I proceeded in tickling him all around his chest.  
  
"Make it stop, make it stop!" he laughed hysterically. "I beg you!"  
  
I gave in and rested my head on his chest. "But I only stopped because I wanted to," I winked.  
  
Then I felt his two hands closing in on my sides. And then they tickled me.  
  
"Ahh!" I screamed. "That TICKLES!"  
  
"That's the point!" he laughed manically. He finally stopped, so I got up off of him and sighed heavily.  
  
"I haven't had that much fun in a long time!" I giggled. I reached out my hand to John to help him up off the ground. "I'm sorry if I hurt you when I attacked," I said, "but I couldn't resist."  
  
We smiled at each other, looking into each other's eyes.  
  
Suddenly John roared in pain. I looked at his arm and saw that it had a burn mark. Laser blasts came in our direction. John quickly grabbed my hand and we ran.  
  
"Is your arm okay?" I asked worriedly.  
  
"I'll live," he said angrily. "I need to get to higher ground. Get on my back." I did what he told and he began to climb one of the walls surrounding the park. Then we glided off.  
  
"Where are we going? This isn't the way to the clocktower!"  
  
"I know," he seethed. "I'm taking you somewhere safe. Then I'll get the rest of the clan to take care of Demona." We landed on top of Macbeth's castle and John stared at me. "You must stay here, for now, okay?"  
  
I held him tightly. "Be safe, John. Please don't get hurt or do anything stupid, okay? I couldn't bear to lose you again. Neither could our child."  
  
He kissed me on the top of my head then cradled my face in his hands. "I'll be fine. We're going to finish Demona once and for all. She's not going to win, I won't let her."  
  
"Just be careful!" I cried. "I love you!"  
  
"I love you too, Mia. Now go inside, and find Macbeth. You'll be safer here."  
  
He turned from me and took to the air.  
  
I went inside of the castle, yelling Macbeth's name as I walked around. Finally he found me.  
  
"What's wrong? Who was that gargoyle that brought you here?"  
  
"Demona attacked us, so John thought it safe that I stay here."  
  
Macbeth was surprised. "That was John?"  
  
I filled him on the details of the past couple of weeks since I'd seen him.  
  
"I could've prevented Demona from doing the spell, if only I had found her..."  
  
"What's done is done," I said. "Although it's going to be hard, I'm going to stick by him and support him and be the best wife I can be to him."  
  
"You're a good person, Mia. John's lucky to have you."  
  
I smiled. "Thanks... I just hope he's okay. He went to get the rest of the clan to take care of Demona. He better not get hurt."  
  
"Don't worry, Mia," Macbeth said gently. "He's strong. I imagine he's even stronger as a gargoyle... He can take care of himself."  
  
"I hope you're right," I said with worry.  
  
"The question is, can you?" We both turned around to see Demona. "I saw how snuggly you and John were, and couldn't resist ruining it for you."  
  
"Run!" yelled Macbeth. So I ran and ran, finally escaping to the outside. I stopped to catch my breath.  
  
Then a laser blast hit me in the leg, causing me to fall. I looked up to see Demona laughing as she walked towards me.  
  
I slowly got up, staring at her. "I know what your problem is. You can't stand seeing anyone else happy – because you're not. Being alone, not having friends – kind of stinks, huh?"  
  
She scratched me across the face. "I survive. That's all that matters, you pathetic human. Once you've been around for a thousand years, I'd like to see what you think about love then."  
  
"John is a perfect example, you know. He's had his ups and downs in his long life, I'm sure. But even if you make mistakes and think that loneliness is the way to go, you might meet someone that'll change your perspective. For John, that someone was me."  
  
Demona growled, her eyes glowing an evil red. "You know nothing about me, what I've been through! What I've lost."  
  
"I know you lost Goliath."  
  
"And you can see how upset I am about that, human. Goliath is a fool, always thinking about the humans. He means nothing to me now."  
  
"But he used to, didn't he? Before the curse. You were together."  
  
"That was a long time ago. Times change, people change." After a few moments of silence, Demona screamed. "Argh! You've gotten me distracted! It's time for you to die, you're annoying me."  
  
She raised her gun at me, preparing to fire at my heart, when a laser blast hit her in the stomach.  
  
"Oww!" she yelled, cowering over in pain. I looked over to where the laser was shot from, and saw Macbeth holding his stomach. Then he ran over to Demona to knock her down. Both of them winced in pain.  
  
After fighting for a few minutes, Demona finally caused Macbeth to go unconscious. She collapsed as well, but woke up before he did.  
  
She glared at me. "This isn't over, human." Then Demona escaped just as I heard the sound of the other gargoyles. John was the first one, and he instantly came to me and held me.  
  
"Demona tricked us. I'm so sorry I put you in danger. Did she hurt you?"  
  
"My leg's hurt, and she scratched my face, but I'll be fine. Macbeth," I said, pointing to the unconscious body, "he saved my life."  
  
"Macbeth?" John said in shock. "I haven't seen him... for a long time. Is he okay?"  
  
As if on cue, Macbeth opened his eyes and painfully got up. John let Elisa help me while he ran over to his old friend.  
  
"It's good to see you, Macbeth," John smiled. "I don't know if you remember me... I kind of look different now..."  
  
"John," he grinned, shaking his hand. "I'm glad to see you're okay. Mia told me all about what happened."  
  
The two friends talked some more before we all went back to the clocktower. Lex bandaged up my leg while Elisa cleaned the claw marks on my right cheek.  
  
After getting fixed up, the clan plus Macbeth crowded around me.  
  
"We will find Demona," Goliath growled. "She will not get away with this."  
  
I sighed. "Look, I don't want you guys to go looking for trouble."  
  
John stroked my left cheek. "But what if she tries to hurt you again? We can't risk it, hon."  
  
I nodded reluctantly.  
  
Suddenly we heard the sound of gargoyles landing from outside. The figure of a female appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Don't let her near Mia!" John yelled as he attacked the gargoyle. A second gargoyle grabbed John and threw him away from the female.  
  
"Who are you?" the male asked. He stepped into the light – he had sea-green colored skin and had a little bit of a belly. He growled at John as his eyes glowed white. "Why did you attack my wife?"  
  
John painfully got up. "Wife?"  
  
The female gargoyle stepped next to the other one. She had the same color skin as Goliath, and it was then I realized who she was.  
  
"You must be Angela and Broadway," I said.  
  
"Yes," Angela replied. "I thought we'd be welcomed back after our honeymoon, not attacked!"  
  
Goliath ran over to his daughter and hugged her. "Welcome home, Angela. I missed you."  
  
"It's good to be home, Father. Who is that new gargoyle? And who is that woman? And what's Macbeth doing here?"  
  
We filled the couple in on the happenings of the past few weeks.  
  
"Why must Demona continue to harass us?" exclaimed Angela. "I wish she'd just leave and never come back!"  
  
"I agree," growled John. "No one messes with my wife and gets away with it!"  
  
Broadway sighed. "Well, we'll have to deal with Demona tomorrow. It's almost sunrise."  
  
"I'll take care of Mia while you guys get some sleep," said Elisa.  
  
Macbeth smiled. "And I'm going to find that beast before she does anything else."  
  
Ten minutes later it was just the Elisa and I inside the clocktower. We entertained ourselves watching a couple of wacky TV shows.  
  
"How's your face doing?" Elisa asked after the credits rolled for "Whose Line is It Anyway?"  
  
"Still hurts a little. But it'll be okay."  
  
"Good... well, I'm exhausted. You don't mind if I snooze a little do you?"  
  
"Go ahead," I said between yawns. I'm pretty tired myself."  
  
Elisa sat in the recliner while I slept in the couch.

...  
  
At sunset I smiled when John came to me and kissed me sweetly on the lips.  
  
"Hey honey," I beamed.  
  
He hugged me. "It's good to see that you're feeling better."  
  
Goliath came in and kissed Elisa. "Good evening, my love."  
  
"Hey big guy," she replied. "Good sleep?"  
  
"Yes, but I'm glad to be awake now."  
  
The rest of the clan walked in, eager to make sure I was okay.  
  
"Did Macbeth find Demona?" Angela wondered as she held hands with Broadway.  
  
"He hasn't returned yet," I said. "But he'll find her."  
  
John growled. "Unless I find her first."  
  
I sighed, "John, don't let rage consume you. Yes, she deserves punishment. But it's not like she hurt me severely. I'm okay, John. You don't need to get all bloodthirsty!"  
  
"It's just, when I saw you there on the ground, I thought maybe I lost you!"  
  
"You didn't," I said firmly. "And you won't lose me."  
  
We felt it better to spend our evening at the clocktower rather than going out. For one thing, I was still healing. The other reason was because Demona was still a threat.  
  
"She's smart enough to know that she can't face all eight gargoyles by herself," John assured me. "It's wise for you to chill out here for a while."  
  
"As long as I'm with you," I grinned. "That's all that matters."  
  
"Don't forget the little one too!" he replied, rubbing my belly.  
  
The rest of the night was spent listening to John tell stories of his past – of the people he met, the things he saw... I was amazed at how much he had endured.  
  
"You'd make a great history professor," I remarked. "You've actually been there! I don't think a lot of people can boast that!"  
  
He laughed. "Well, I don't think they have many gargoyle teachers out there either!"  
  
Another sunrise came and I wished the whole clan a wonderful sleep. Elisa had to do some paperwork downstairs, so I was left alone to my own devices. I saw a book on the couch that Brooklyn had been reading every night – "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" – and decided it was my turn to get some good comic relief.  
  
Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep with it in my hands, only open at page five.

...  
  
A few hours later I woke up with a sudden excruciating pain in my abdomen. I opened my eyes to see the human Demona holding a bloodied knife. It was then I realized she had stabbed me.  
  
"Told you I'd come back," she snickered.  
  
"My baby!" I cried. "My child!" I doubled over, tears gushing from my eyes. Through my tears I saw her drop the knife in shock.  
  
She looked terrified as she stared at her hands, backing away. "What have I done? What have I done?"  
  
Elisa had luckily finished her duties a few minutes before and had just entered the room, pointing her gun at Demona. "Get out of here, bitch."  
  
The last thing I saw before passing out was an upset Demona running away.  
  
When I was aware again, I was in the hospital – for the second time in two weeks. I turned to my right and saw John holding my hand, crying.  
  
"John," I rasped, "it'll be okay."  
  
He looked at me with a weak smile and tear-filled eyes. "Yes, you will. But..."  
  
"The baby..." I acknowledged.  
  
"I should've known she'd come after you in the daylight hours.... I should've been there to protect you! If only I were human again..."  
  
"Shhh," I said, putting my fingers on John's lips. "Don't blame yourself. There was nothing you could have done."  
  
"Now there's no way we can have children," he cried sadly. "I've failed you, Mia. I've failed." He gave me a kiss on the forehead, and started towards the window.  
  
"Don't leave, John," I insisted. "I need you!"  
  
He looked at me sadly before he glided out the window. I sobbed terribly – everything wonderful to me was being taken away. I couldn't bear it.  
  
I cried myself to sleep, and awoke an hour later to the sound of my window opening. I opened my eyes quickly.  
  
"Brooklyn..." I said, seeing the crimson gargoyle. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I wanted to check up on you, make sure you were okay. Demona's going to pay for this!"  
  
"I don't blame her," I said.  
  
"But she's the one who hurt you!"  
  
I nodded. "Yeah... but I should have known good things don't last. I should have expected I'd lose my child. I should have figured John wouldn't want to be around me. I should have..."  
  
"You know," Brooklyn stated, "you sound a lot like John with all the 'should have' statements. He came by the clocktower after visiting you. He was so sad, wondering about what he 'should have' done. He blames himself. And you blame yourself. Stop focusing on who's to blame for this. Sometimes bad things happen. You've got to begin healing."  
  
"That's why I'm in the hospital," I said condescendingly.  
  
"Not only physical healing." he said. "But emotional healing... it'll be a hard thing to get past losing your child, but you and John have to get through it – together."  
  
"Well why don't you tell him that?" I shouted. "He's the one who left me here by myself!"  
  
"I was going to talk to him, but he flew off before I could. Listen, you two seriously need to talk about this. It's something you need to face together."  
  
"Well I can't exactly walk out of here to go find him, so why don't you just leave me alone! And if he decides to stop by the tower before sunrise, tell him I'd appreciate it if he came by again."  
  
"Fine, fine," Brooklyn said, holding up his hands. "I'm out of here."  
  
After he left, I sobbed so hard that the nurses had to bring in a dry pillowcase for me.  
  
"Why is this happening to me?" I cried silently.  
  
_TO BE CONCLUDED..._


	4. Hope

_All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of Zzilly14._  
  


**The Ford Chronicles: Mia Ford  
IV: Hope**  
by Zzilly14  


  
  
I woke up and the sun was shining on my face. I felt someone holding my hand. I blinked a few times and saw John – as a human.  
  
"John? How can it be?" I asked, full of happiness. "You're... we can still have children!" I realized.  
  
He stroked my cheek gently, then stood up. "Not as long as I'm a gargoyle." He suddenly morphed into a stone gargoyle.

...  
  
Then I really woke up. My head was pounding. I looked outside and it was cloudy day. "Beautiful day," I muttered sarcastically.  
  
It was a few days after the attack, and I was almost ready to leave the hospital. John hadn't come by since he left that first night, and ever since my outburst towards Brooklyn, I figured he warned the other gargoyles to leave me alone.  
  
I heard a knock on the door, and then the doctor came in. "Hello, Mrs. Ford. How are you feeling today?"  
  
"Lousy," I said. "I feel like the world is trying to ruin my life. And so far it's working."  
  
"I'm... sorry," he said awkwardly. "I meant the injuries, how are they faring?"  
  
"They're doing better."  
  
"That's good to hear. Mrs. Ford... I want to tell you that we're all sorry for your loss," he said sympathetically.  
  
"Thanks," I muttered.  
  
"There's a visitor for you, by the way. A young woman."  
  
"I'll see her. Let her in."  
  
I looked out the window as I heard her walk in. "It's so hard, Elisa," I said, beginning to cry. "Have you ever been so sad?"  
  
I turned and was surprised to see Demona in human form.  
  
"Demona? What are you doing here?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Came to finish me off for the last time? I'm still kind of weak so it shouldn't be too difficult for you."  
  
"No, Mia... I... I came here to apologize."  
  
"Apologize?" I said in shock. "You attack me and kill my baby, and you came to say you're sorry?"  
  
"Look, this is hard for me to do. I don't usually apologize for my actions. But when I realized that you were with child, I felt guilty. If I had known, I wouldn't have attacked you."  
  
"You would've attacked John instead, right? Nothing you say will justify your actions. Now, John won't talk to me, our child is dead, and we're both unhappy. You ruined our lives, just what you wanted to do. Pat yourself on the back, and don't let the door hit you on the way out." I stared at the window angrily.  
  
"Losing something you love is hard – now you know what it's like."  
  
"It doesn't mean I'm going to turn evil like you!"  
  
"But it means we have something in common," she said sadly. "I lost a child too."  
  
I softened up and looked back at Demona. "You had a child once?"  
  
"Yes... she's not dead, but she might as well be, to me anyway. We don't talk anymore... and I don't blame her. I was the one who pushed her away." I noticed that a single tear was falling down her cheek.  
  
"Angela..." I realized.  
  
"Yes, Angela. You're pretty intelligent – for a human."  
  
"Why did you attack us?" I asked, changing subjects. "I don't understand..."  
  
"You were right, with what you said. I can't stand seeing anyone else happy. When I performed that spell on John, I was trying to make his life miserable, since he betrayed me. And he turned out to be happier than ever! I was so angry that my plan had failed, that I wanted to kill him. When I realized he was protecting you, I couldn't resist... hurting someone he loved would make him stop being happy."  
  
"Well... it worked,' I said.  
  
"But I don't feel any better," she said. "In fact, I feel worse. I actually feel regret and sympathy... feelings I've kept hidden from myself for a long time."  
  
We sat in silence for a few minutes. I absorbed everything that had happened to me, and wished I could change the past.  
  
"Demona..." I finally said, "I accept your apology."  
  
"You... you do?" she said with surprise.  
  
"I can't hold grudges... revenge is a terrible thing that I don't want any part of. I just want life to be normal again. But unfortunately, that's never going to happen. John's going to be a gargoyle... forever. And we're never going to have children. Life will never be the same. And although you are the cause of most of this... everything happens for a reason. It was just meant to be."  
  
Demona looked at me, tears filling her eyes. "I should leave," she said, starting to head towards the door.  
  
"Please don't go... I don't want to be alone."  
  
She made a little laugh. "You don't want to be alone with me."  
  
"But I need someone to talk to, and unless you can get Macbeth or Elisa here..."  
  
"I'd help you out with that, but they kind of hate me."  
  
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. The door opened to reveal Elisa.  
  
"Speaking of one of the devils," Demona said.  
  
"Step away from her," Elisa spat. "or else I'll kill you myself!"  
  
"Elisa," I said, "it's okay."  
  
She was confused. "But she killed your child! She stabbed you!"  
  
"Yes... but I want to give her a chance to redeem herself. Now I'm going to ask that you two please get along, or else you're both out of here."  
  
They both glared at each other before looking at me and nodding.  
  
"Good. Elisa, you mentioned something about Goliath becoming a human? It involved Demona as well as someone else..."  
  
"Puck. He's a Child of Oberon, he can do spells."  
  
I looked at Demona. "Is he the one that made you human?"  
  
"Yes, it was his fault."  
  
"Where is he now?" I asked, looking between the two women. "I'd like to have a chat with him."

...  
  
"So, you're the infamous Puck?" I asked.  
  
It was the next night. I was checked out of the hospital, and Demona had taken me to Xanatos Enterprises.  
  
"Actually, no." Then Xanatos laughed. "What do you need with Puck anyway?"  
  
"Business," I gritted through my teeth.  
  
Xanatos then walked to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "I heard about your child. I'm sorry."  
  
"If you were so sorry about it, you'd do this one favor for me."  
  
He stared at me for a few moments, and finally sighed. "Fine, fine, I'll help you out." He spoke into an intercom. "Owen? Can you please get down here. Bring Alex with you."  
  
A few minutes later he entered the room, looking as smug as the first time I met him. Holding his left hand was a little four-year-old boy.  
  
"What's going on, Mr. Xanatos?" he asked in a suspicious voice.  
  
"Hi Daddy!" grinned the little boy as he let go of Owen and ran into his father's arms.  
  
"You're married AND have a child? You are full of surprises, Mr. Xanatos."  
  
Xanatos lifted his son and held him delicately. "I've got plenty more," he replied with a grin.  
  
"Could I speak with Mr. Burnett alone, please?"  
  
Demona walked out first, but not before glaring at Owen. Xanatos gave Alex back to Owen and left the room, closing the doors.  
  
"I'd like to speak to Puck," I stated bluntly.  
  
"Puck isn't around at the-"  
  
I would have grabbed Owen by the collar if it wasn't for the cute little boy he was holding. "Well, could you please make him show up."  
  
"I wanna see Puck!" exclaimed Alex.  
  
Suddenly Owen spun around and around, throwing me backwards. And then he was floating, had longer hair, pointy ears, and an annoying voice. He still had Alex, although now the boy was laughing hysterically.  
  
"That was fun! Let's do it again!"  
  
"Soon enough, my boy... you rang?" Puck asked me.  
  
"Owen is Puck? Puck is Owen?" I said with confusion.  
  
"What is it you want?" he asked annoyingly. "I haven't got all day."  
  
"I have a favor to ask you, Puck. I've gained and lost so much recently... and I want to be happy again. I want to have a decent life."  
  
"If you want a perfect life, child, I can't give you that."  
  
I sighed heavily. "But I want my husband. I want him to be human again. I know it's a huge thing to ask, but I want to have a family one day."  
  
"You're right, that is a big request. What will you give me in return?"  
  
"I have to give you something?"  
  
Puck chuckled. "If you thought this would be done out of the goodness of my heart... you apparently don't know much about me."  
  
I thought for a moment. "If you do to John what you did to Demona – the whole human-by-day, gargoyle-by-night thing... could that be considered a fair price?"  
  
"I suppose that works," he said. He then looked to the boy. "Watch and learn, Alex."  
  
His eyes suddenly turned white as he transported all three of us above a crying gargoyle.  
  
"John..." I whispered.  
  
Puck began to recite the spell:  
  
_"Fearsome creature who would stay  
Unchanged by the light of day  
Remain thou thus throughout the night  
And be thou flesh by dawn's fair light."_  
  
Then as quickly as we arrived, we were back in Xanatos' office.  
  
"Is that it?" I asked. "You did it?"  
  
"Yes and yes," he replied. "Now can I go? I've got other things to attend to."  
  
I nodded. "But I'm warning you, if something isn't right..."  
  
"Don't worry, I've been a good boy!"  
  
He spun around again, and was back to being simple Owen. Alex giggled some more as I opened the door and let the others come back in.  
  
"So, you got business taken care of?" asked Xanatos.  
  
"Yes," I replied. "We'll be leaving now. Thank you."  
  
Demona took me back to the clocktower. On the way, she was curious about my wish.  
  
"What did you request?" she asked.  
  
"If it works, I'll let you know. I don't want to get hopes up."  
  
We landed to only find Elisa, Hudson, and Bronx at the tower.  
  
"What are you doing here, Demona?" Hudson asked, drawing his sword. "You should know better than to come here after what you did to Mia and John!"  
  
I ran to Hudson. "Hey, listen, it's all okay now. I think she's trying to get on the road to redemption here, okay? Just give her a chance."  
  
He looked sadly into my eyes. "But after what happened... your child..."  
  
"I know," I said quietly. "But whether I act hateful or kind to Demona, won't change the fact my child is gone. I say, it's better to show kindness than to be bitter."  
  
"You're a smart lass," he smiled, putting his sword back. "Want to watch some TV with me and Bronx?"  
  
"That's alright..." I replied. "I was wondering, when will John be back?"  
  
"I'm not sure. He's been keeping to himself a lot, ever since that night. We don't talk to him, and he doesn't talk to us."  
  
"I wonder where he is," I thought aloud.  
  
"Mia," Demona said, "I'm going to head out. I don't feel very welcome here, and if anyone else comes back... they'll probably attack first, ask questions later."  
  
"I understand, Demona. Be safe. And thanks for all your help. It means a lot to show you care."  
  
She smiled before gliding away.  
  
Elisa patted me on the back. "You are amazing. If I were in your shoes, I'd be trying to kill Demona."  
  
"Good thing you're not in my shoes," I smiled. "For Demona's sake."  
  
Goliath, Angela, and Broadway returned from their evening and were glad to see me back. Then they went inside to watch some TV.  
  
Elisa and I joined the others to chat about ourselves, all of us learning more about each other, becoming a tighter family.  
  
Finally, we heard the return of more gargoyles. It was Brooklyn and Lex.  
  
"Hey, how you holding up?" they asked. "We were worried."  
  
After a few minutes of chatting, I sighed. "Have you guys talked to John? Do you know where he is?"  
  
They shook their heads, and I became distraught.  
  
"I need to speak with him," I cried. "How can he avoid me at a time like this?"  
  
"Because I don't want to believe it's true."  
  
I looked up through my tears and saw John. I ran up to him and hugged him tight. I felt his own tears on my shoulder.  
  
"I'm so glad you're here. I was afraid that you left me," I sobbed.  
  
He wiped my tears away. "I could never, ever do that, Mia. I just needed some time by myself, to take a breather away from everything."  
  
We both went outside to talk alone.  
  
"John, this is a hard thing to deal with, and I was afraid I had to face it alone."  
  
"Look, I'm here now. I'm sorry that I hurt you," he began to cry, "but I just didn't want to accept the fact that our child was gone..."  
  
"But we have to accept it," I forced myself to say. "We have to move on and continue with our lives."  
  
He roared. "I know that! But we can't forget what's happened!"  
  
"John! No matter what I do, I'm not going to forget our first child. How could I? But the fact is, we have to live our lives. It's going to take time, but together," I said, taking his hands, "together we'll get through it."  
  
"I don't know," he sighed, turning away from me. "I feel like my heart's been ripped out. How can it ever be pieced back together again?"  
  
"That's something we'll both have to figure out."  
  
"Not tonight," he said, looking at the sky. "The sun's almost up."  
  
The other gargoyles came outside to get into their poses for the day. I sighed.  
  
"I love you, John."  
  
He looked back at me, speaking tenderly. "I love you too, but we'll have to talk about this tomorrow night, okay?"  
  
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the sun beginning to rise. I pulled John towards me and kissed him passionately. At first he was startled, but got lost in the moment with me. We kept kissing until finally, John pushed me away.  
  
"The sun's about to rise!" he exclaimed. "I'm going to be stone and-"  
  
He realized that I was smiling with tears in eyes, so he looked to the east – the sun was already above the horizon. He looked at all the other gargoyles, who were now stone statues.  
  
"Who are you talking to?" asked Elisa as she came outside. She then shrieked and dropped the coffee mug she was holding.  
  
John looked back and forth between Elisa and I. "What's going on?"  
  
"Look... look at your hands." I spoke softly.  
  
He examined his hands with surprise.  
  
"I'm... I'm human!" he said in shock. "How did this happen?"  
  
I held his face in my hands. "I got Puck to do it. You told me you felt like you failed me... but I felt like I failed you, by not protecting our child, our last chance of having children..."  
  
"It's not your fault," he pleaded.  
  
"I realize that now... things happen for a reason. When you were kidnapped, it was the end of the world for me. But if it hadn't happened, I wouldn't have met the gargoyles... my new family. Anyway, while at the hospital, Demona and Elisa visited me."  
  
"We definitely didn't come together," Elisa made sure to point out.  
  
I laughed. "Anyway, I thought about it, and remembered that Elisa had mentioned Goliath and the rest of the clan became humans – thanks to Puck. And Demona's spell of becoming human during the day was because of Puck as well. So I found him, and asked him to make you human once more."  
  
John kissed me on the forehead. "What's the catch?" he wondered. "There's got to be one for this kind of a spell."  
  
"You remain a gargoyle after sunset. So you're still a creature of the night. But now, no more stone statue in the day. I don't have to spend my days alone anymore. And we can try to have a family again."  
  
"This is... wow!" he laughed. He kissed me again. "You're so amazing, Mia. Where have you been all my life?" He hugged me tenderly.  
  
"I'm glad to see you happy again."  
  
He sighed deeply. "This is so surprising, I never expected I'd see daylight, ever again."  
  
"I know," I said softly. "I know."  
  
Elisa cleared her throat. "Hey, you guys want to grab some breakfast? I know this great place that has the best pancakes in the world."  
  
John's eyes widened. "Is it that small restaurant with the Sphinx as a logo?"  
  
"That's where we went on one of our dates before we got married!" I exclaimed. "I'm starving, let's go!"  
  
Elisa started downstairs. John and I grinned at each other. We then both looked at our sleeping gargoyle friends, thinking of everything that had happened, before holding hands and leaving. Life wasn't going to be perfect, but it was going to be good.  
  
_THE END!_


End file.
